1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device and method for examining and handling deer and other wild or domestic animals.
2. Related Art
Many diseases are transmissible to man and animals by ectoparasites such as ticks. Because some wildlife species, such as white-tailed deer, are capable of propagating and harboring large populations of these ectoparasites, an effective strategy for the prevention of disease transmission should include treatment of animals, including wildlife, for the control of ectoparasites. Yet, the monitoring and treatment of significant numbers of animals, especially wildlife that are not easily captured or otherwise able to be handled and treated directly, for control of these ectoparasites remains a difficult problem.
In areas where an effort is being made to eradicate ticks, the inability to monitor the occurrence ticks on wildlife and apply appropriate control measures can be a critical factor to the success of the program. For example, cattle ticks were eradicated from the United States in the 1940""s, and a quarantine zone was established along the Texas-Mexico border between Del Rio and Brownsville, Tex. to prevent reinfestation of U.S. cattle herds. Yearly outbreaks of ticks that occur in the quarantine zone are controlled by dipping of cattle and by vacating infested pastures. However, increased populations of white-tailed deer, elk, exotic deer, antelope and other marginal host animals in the region are complicating the eradication effort, and in some areas have prevented eradication on premises re-infested with the ticks. For other ectoparasites such as blacklegged ticks, the vectors of Lyme disease, wildlife, and white-tailed deer in particular, are the primary hosts for adult ticks. The ability to monitor and control these ticks on deer would therefore be a valuable tool in the management of Lyme disease.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,983, we disclosed a device and method for feeding and applying pesticides onto animals, including deer. That device incorporates vertical support members carrying pesticide applicators which the animal contacts in the course of feeding, thereby applying the pesticide to the neck and head of the animal. More recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,672, we disclosed a device for applying collars on deer and other animals. Application of pesticide impregnated collars with this device has allowed prolonged control of ticks and other parasites on these animals.
Although these developments have shown promise in ectoparasite control, the need remains for an improved apparatus and method which will allow examination and treatment of deer and other wildlife. Jubinville (U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,472) disclosed an apparatus for restraining deer and other antlered animals having a V shaped chute with opposed sidewalls and a drop-down floor. Once the animal enters the chute, the floor is dropped, suspending the deer with its body held against the sloping opposed sidewalls. With the deer so restrained, it may be examined or handled without injury to either the handler or the animal. However, despite these improvements, the animal may be subjected to stress or trauma as the floor is released. Consequently, there remains a need for an improved device and method for restraining and handling deer and other animals with less trauma.
We have now developed an apparatus and method for restraining wildlife so that they may be safely examined and/or handled with minimal trauma to the animal. The apparatus includes a housing having open front and rear ends allowing the entry and exit of a target animal, while the rear end includes a first openable/closable door effective for controlling the egress of the target animal from the interior of the housing. To immobilize the animal, a deer lift is disposed within the interior of the housing having opposed, outwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces which are vertically movable between a first, lower position and a second, raised position. The opposed surfaces are spaced from one another with the space therebetween defining a narrow passageway having a width which is effective to allow the target animal to walk between the opposed surfaces when they are in the lower position. However, the width between the opposed surfaces is sufficiently close such that the opposed sides engage the trunk or body of the animal when they are raised. The apparatus further includes a means for raising the opposed surfaces between the lower and raised positions. In operation, when a target animal has entered the housing through the open end and moved between the opposed surfaces, it is lifted off the ground or floor by raising the opposed surfaces to a height effective to engage the trunk of the animal and suspend its legs off the floor or ground. The animal is thereby immobilized, allowing ready examination and/or handling thereof. Upon completion, the animal is allowed to egress from the rear end of the housing by lowering of the opposed surfaces and opening the openable/closable door.
In accordance with this discovery, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for restraining animals, particularly deer and other wildlife.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for humanely restraining an animal so that it may be examined or handled without injury to either the handler or the animal, also while minimizing the stress and trauma to the animal.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for humanely restraining an animal while minimizing trap shyness by the animals, thereby allowing the animals to be subsequently captured and restrained multiple times.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing description.